Would you discard that “perfect” name if…

The elf who came today has become "Barberry Carpet" which is pretty ridiculous. I wanted the name of a moth and most British moths seem to have incredibly boring names. (She's not bright enough to be a butterfly.)

 

Oh no no... words' meaning varies from places to another,
the "perfect name" for your doll, should not be influenced by language barriers or cultural differences
if that name suits your doll and makes you love him more, then I should say " go for it"
the names of my dolls are quite unusual (or you may cal it weird) here in our place, some people do tend to criticize or makes fun of it. but it didn't matter to me. Their names makes them special, the meaning of the names is not dictated by them or by what is acceptable for them but the meaning of their names really depends on you. It is your doll anyway, I know people would respect it later on ^^

 

No, but I don't really know any languages other than English, so I never would have been able to transplant meaning in to the name that wasn't there to begin with.
I wouldn't be too worried about it, because it's not the actual meaning of the name, and it kinda seems like you're stretching a bit. The mandarin pronunciation of the kanji, as apposed to the way they're pronounced in Japanese, which is the way you're choosing to use them, right? It's a Japanese name.
Are their other kanji you could use to spell the name, but that have a different meaning?

I wouldn't really care even if I found out a name I'd chosen had an obscure meaning in another language, or just sounded like it did. If I like it, I like it. And I've always found that I don't choose perfect names. They choose me, or the doll, or whatever it is I'm trying to name. I get a basic idea in my head of what it's supposed to sound like, and I have to struggle to sound it out. When I get it, I don't let it go.

 

I don't know if it is. When naming my characters, I always look if the character's foreign name does not sound like a funny/offensive word in my own language, because nobody from the Netherlands will take him/her serious anymore after they hear his/her name. (Besides, I no longer take my character serious after knowing this)

And when writing for an English audience and using a Dutch name I do the same. For instance, I know that "Dick" is a regular name in both English speaking countries and Holland, but I won't use the name because in English it is also a different word for a typical male organ as well as an abusive name.

So if it is a language/culture you are familiar with, I don't think it is silly at all to keep an eye on the meaning of a name, especially if it is a logical assumption that a large percentage of people in your country - or, if your writing is never going to be published, your circle of friends - are familiar with that language.

 

Me! Me! This is totally me! On-topic, though.If you truly like the name, it doesn't matter the meaning. Having a cool meaning is simply a bonus. Sometimes, if the name just fits, then it fits. I'm in the process of getting a doll right now and his name is going to be Wataru, based from one of my favorite characters from Pokemon (makes me wonder if anyone knows his American name here besides me... lol) However, there's a high chance that once I get him and hold him for the first time in my arms, his name and personality will change. So if the name fits, go for it. On another completely off-topic, though not that far, Getbackers rule! I now have the sudden urge to get a doll and make it Akabane's outfit... the haunt all the Ginji's I find at con... (if there are any)

 

With Devine, a girl told me that 'devine' meant 'Guess' in French so that fits his personality perfect.

So if I didn't know, I would still name him that as long as it wasn't offensive in my native language

 

All names have meanings. For example, my actual name means 'pure person from France' (And I come from Australia) and my screen handle means 'little dragon' (Which is kinda appropriate. Also, it really should read "Haku no Chisai" now that I think about it.) Do I often think about this in regular life? No.

Hey, one of my dolls, when you look at the meaning of his name has the name King Kings. (Lief Alexanders) Do I care? Not really. I choose names that I feel suit the character. While we're on the topic of names, as well, Cain Marx (One of my other dolls) means "The Betraying leader of a communist revolution."

I think I've made enough of a point that worrying about name meanings can be silly. If you like the name, why worry about what it means?

 

If one of my doll's names sounded like something weird in another language...well honestly I wouldn't care. The vast majority of my dolls have or will have western names that are familiar and recognized by me and others in my culture. Who cares if "Nathan" sounds like "green door" in another language or something. I don't know that other language. It would be different if the name I was considering was a foreign name I didn't know how to pronounce and it translated to something stupid or was considered weird or stupid in the culture it's from.

 

I think however that the OP speaks Mandarin as her main language, and it would keep popping into your mind and giving you images that you may not want associated (in your mind) with your doll. Also it would be kind of boring to have to explain why you named him Mad Bird Hospital a zillion times.
I have to say I find that hilarious.
And yeah, I would change the name, but at least you got to keep the second part!

 

Just to add on~ Actually, people who read get backers (ie, those reading the Chinese version manga in Singapore and are likely the people I'm assuming you'll mostly pronounce his Chinese version name to) will know who 風鳥院花月 is regardless of how it sounds like and that is prolly the first association that comes to mind; they are likely to think about "mad bird hospital" only if they think about it deeper; I also didn't think that much about it until you mention XD If you're pronouncing your boy's name based on the Chinese pronunciation of the Japanese kanji, and you're worried about how it might come across to other people especially those that doesn't read get backers, what you can do is to retain his full name as his "official name" but when introducing him just use the first name. that is, if you don't mind compromising a bit. that's what i'd do for my boys~ XD

 

To add to the discussion, there are so many languages and cultural differences around the world, that it is reasonable to think only the main ones you and the closest people around you have. Otherwise it´s hard to find a name that would fit in every language. Everyone knows that if person comes from another culture, possible odd meaning isn´t made with reason.

For example to tell, in Finnish quite many Japanese words are in use but with very different meaning. I don´t speak japanese but know a bit about the name meanings and how they´re built, and it often makes me laugh myself (not that I wouldn´t mention, it would be unpolite) when I read Finnish teenage Japan -fangirls naming their dolls or pets or whatever in words that do have a funny sounding meaning in our own language. For example, "Kana" means "hen/chicken" in Finnish, "Hana" means "faucet". I wouldn´t give my doll a name that would have very obvious and instantly recognizable meaning, even still it would have a nice meaning in some foreign language.

Still, many Finnish words sound odd in other languages, as well vice versa, you can´t help it. I have seen in penpal site that a very rude curse word in Finnish seems to be a last name of someone, who will probably never get to know it. My own second name sounds a bit like a rude slang word in Spanish I think, and with human names there´s countless amount of similar fun or odd associations. I think with doll names it´s not a problem as long as you like the name yourself, or if there isn´t nobody close to you who would find it inappropriate.

 

As long as a name sounds pretty, cool or suiting, I don't really care what it means in another language, no. :< I can see where you get the sadness from, but I wouldn't really care. x3

 

I think you are missing the point Harlebist, it is the meaning of it in the OP's main speaking language. She (or he) lives in Sinapore and speaks Mandarin, although clearly quite fluent in English. It would be as if you wanted to name your doll after a character but when you said it out loud it sounded like Furry Cow Feet.

I have to say, this thread makes me ROTFL. Now I want to call one of my dolls Mad Bird Hospital. No one will get it but I'll be hysterical.

 

I agree with the majority here... I think that when it comes to names, the important thing is your own intention when you name your doll. I usually like to find a certain meaning to the name when I choose it, but whether it means something else in a different language doesn't bother me since that wasn't the meaning I intended. It would be extremely hard, I would think, to find a "perfect name" that has a good translation in every language it can be translated from. And if someone were to ask about the different translation I would just let them know that while it may be true, it wasn't the one I was naming them after.

 

If it bothers you, change it. While this hasn't happened to me personally, I certainly understand the sentiment. I've discarded plenty of lovely potential names because I knew someone with that name that I don't care for, and the name having a meaning that makes you uncomfortable in another language seems just as sensible to me.

The doll is there to make you happy -- if something as flexible as a name diminishes that happiness, I'd change the name.

 

*giggle* I have a hard enough time coming up with ONE name for my dolls, much less two, so if I found a set that worked? I'd be glomming it forever even if it meant something awful!

but... then... I'm pretty odd

 

When i realized I came up with a name for a character that meant "to go" in another language I simply changed the spelling of it. It still sounds mostly the same though. ^^

was Ikeru
now Ikerhu

 

I have given up on a name due to confused translation. I wanted to call him "cold" in Latin. I looked it up , liked the word, and went for it. Some time later I discoved the word I had chosen wasn't cold as in *brrrrrr*, but cold as in *cough sneeze*. Luckily the next time I went fishing for a name I found one I liked much better. It also stood up to several tests in translation.

 

Japanese is a wonderful language where you can pick alternative kanji to read the same sound. *heart* So just pick alternate kanji and keep the sound. :3

Personally, I would try my best not to end up with names that mean weird things in languages that I know, simply because, even if no one else understands it, I would, and it would bother me to no end that the name sounds weird. XD

 

I usually pick my names from latin words. I also hoard names, I have huge lists of names that I've fallen in love with, and are just waiting to be attached to something. I would never name a doll, or a pet or anything, until I knew enough about them to make sure the name fit. Because of this, sometimes things in my house go nameless for a period of time ^^